“Find out about the woman named Jane mentioned there.”

Lawrence examined the list the Duke had handed over.

“The name and age are all there.”

“Yeah, I’m not even sure if that’s true.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And…….”

Duke Valige hesitated, tapping the desk with his pen.

“Last time, when we investigated Lina, nothing came up.”

“Shall we look into it again?”

At that response, Valige looked at the hand that had caressed Lina last night.

It felt too cold to have had the window open for long. According to the servant, Lina had been lying in bed all day.

‘It wasn’t warm.’

As if he had been outside in the cold wind for a long time, just like himself.

He felt as if he was missing something very important, but he soon shook his head.

“No, that’s enough. It’s time for Alex to come.”

“Yes, I received a telegram twenty minutes ago that he left the palace.”

“Then, it’s time for him to arrive.”

As Lawrence and Valige went down to the first floor, Lina was already greeting Alex.

“It’s been a long time, Lina. Or should I call you Duchess Dynames now?”

Prince Adenmir Alex entered with a friendly smile, and Duke Valige standing next to Lina grumbled with dissatisfaction.

“When have you been so friendly?”

“You see, Duke, you’re so scary that I can’t even talk to the Duchess.”

When the missing case that had shaken the capital turned out to be human trafficking, a great uproar erupted in the empire.

Moreover, the fact that the headquarters of the trafficking gang was a dessert shop that was trendy in the capital shocked many.

Thanks to that, the Imperial Newspaper praised Duke Fermainens as a hero who had rescued the kidnapped women all day long, thereby improving the position of the crown prince he was supporting.

“Duke, you’ve done a great job. Thanks to you, my popularity has increased.”

Before they knew it, the three people had taken their seats in the restaurant. As if they were waiting, the dishes started to be placed in front of them.

When the atmosphere became relaxed, Lina brought up the questions she had been curious about.

“So, have all the missing people returned home?”

“Most of them. But some have already crossed over to the southern continent, so I’m thinking of requesting an investigation cooperation there. It’s only a matter of time before we find them all.”

“That’s a relief.”

Lina praised the crown prince and the Duke for catching the traffickers, taking a bite of salad.

“By the way, you still don’t have a witness for the engagement ceremony, do you?”

“Yes, I was going to ask Count Harren for a favor this week.”

“Do you need to ask Count Harren? I’ll be the witness.”

“……Yes?”

For a moment, Valige and Lina’s hands stopped as they were eating.

All nobles had to have an engagement ceremony before getting married, and both the engagement and wedding ceremonies required a clergyman and a noble to testify.

It was common to ask the priest of the temple they often attended, but a noble witness was not just anyone.

Being a noble witness was tantamount to becoming a guardian of the child of the couple they were witnessing, so usually, a blood relative or a really close friend served.

Of course, since Valige had no blood relatives, it might have seemed natural for Alex to serve as a witness. But Alex was a royal.

And a strong contender for the next emperor.

“It’s just an engagement ceremony, not a wedding. Your Highness, you don’t have to…….”

Especially considering it was not even a wedding but an engagement ceremony.

An extraordinary honor for her, who came from a common background, but on the other hand, it might not have been very good for Prince Adenmir.
“Now that she has become a noble young lady, but as it is a wedding ceremony with a lady who has not even held a debutante, it will not be easy to find someone to serve as a witness. Also, for Lina, who is of commoner origin, my being a witness will be a great strength for her later entry into society.”

Duke Valige, who had been silently listening to the crown prince’s words, casually asked,

“Thank you for going to such lengths, but it seems you have something you want.”

“Of course, it’s you.”

At Valige’s words, the crown prince raised the corners of his mouth.

“I know it’s a terrible thing to say to a soontobe groom, Valige. But I wish you would go to Festius.”

Festius was a small kingdom adjacent to the east of the empire.

‘Why there…….’

Lina looked at Alex with an expression that could not understand the reason.

“I am going to marry the princess of the kingdom of Festius.”

“The princess of Festius? Isn’t she a saint?”

“Yes. I’m going to welcome her as the 1st prince’s consort. I’ve already finished talking with them.”

The reason Queen Eugenie could have put forward the frail 2nd prince was that he had gained the support of the temple, albeit weakly, with the sacred power he had.

But if the saint marries Alex and becomes the 1st prince’s consort, he will receive the absolute support of the temple, and the temple will no longer have a reason to promote the frail 2nd prince as the crown prince.